Intensifying Comparatives
When you want to say something is "much more" or "significantly more" than something else, German uses degree adverbs like weitaus (much), wesentlich (significantly), and bedeutend (considerably).
To intensify a comparison, simply place the adverb directly in front of the comparative adjective.
| The dolphin is much more intelligent than the bear. | Der Delfin ist weitaus intelligenter als der Bär. |
| The raven uses the tool to solve the problem significantly faster. | Der Rabe benutzt das Werkzeug, um das Problem wesentlich schneller zu lösen. |
| Although the ant is tiny, it is considerably stronger than the human. | Obwohl die Ameise winzig ist, ist sie bedeutend stärker als der Mensch. |
Using "bei weitem"
The phrase bei weitem translates to "by far". It is especially versatile because you can use it to emphasize both comparatives and superlatives.
When used with a comparative, it functions exactly like the adverbs above to show a massive difference between two things.
| The fox is far more adaptable than the wolf. | Der Fuchs ist bei weitem anpassungsfähiger als der Wolf. |
When used with a superlative, it emphasizes that something holds the absolute top rank without question. You can place bei weitem before the superlative phrase, or right after the article.
| The elephant is by far the biggest animal here. | Der Elefant ist bei weitem das größte Tier hier. |
| By far the most social animal here is the dog. | Das bei weitem sozialste Tier hier ist der Hund. |
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